Whipstocking sleeve for drillable liners



p 29, 4 v. v. SHEPHERD ET AL WHIPSTOCKING SLEEVE FOR DR1FLLABLE LINERS Filed Jan. 2, 1940 Via-BNO l4 SHEPHERD Gem E. PEUGH INVENTORS ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1942 Vernon V. Shepherd and Orlo R. Peugh, Long Beach, Calif., assignors to Lane-Wells Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application January 2, 1940, Seriai No. 312,010

2 Claims.

Our invention relates to whipstocks for drillable liners. Among the objects of our invention are:

First, to provide a whipstock which is incorporated in and lowered with a drillable liner so that when the liner is subsequently drilled up the bit will be deflected to one side;

Second, to provide a whipstock of this type which is in the form of a sleeve interposed in the drillable liner;

Third, to provide a whipstock of this type which is particularly applicable when it is desired to set a standard or steel liner and interpose a drillable section between the steel liner and the casing above, so that the standard liner below may be sidetracked; and

Fourth, to provide, on the whole, a novelly constructed whipstock which is particularly simple and economical of manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawing, in'which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatical view illustrating one manner in which our whipstock may be used;

Figure 2 is another diagrammatical view showing the manner in which our whipstock deflects the newly drilled hole from the previous bore;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view taken substantially through 33 of Figure 8; and

Figures 4, 5, 6, '7 and 8 are transverse sectional views taken through 4-4, 5- -'.i, 6-6, 1-1 and 8-8, respectively, of Figure 1, to illustrate the CI'OSs section of the whipstock at different points and its relation to the liner around which it fits, and showing further by dotted outline the location of the bit as it passes the planes of the sectional views.

In completing a well it is customary to land a casing I, then drill into the producing formation through the lower end of the casing, forming a liner 3, is drilled up by the bit. When the bit en-,

counters the sleeve, or whipstock I I, it is deflected in the direction of the whipstocking face l3. Inasmuch as the whipstocking face actually is an elongated hollow lip, and the wearing edges are necessarily limited in thickness, the corners of,

these edges are beveled away from the angle of contact of the bit, as indicated by M, in the several cross sectional views. It is intended, of course, that care be taken in utilizing our whipstock sleeve so that the edges forming the whipstocking face will not be unduly damaged.

In some instances it is preferable to fill the liner with cement before commencing sidetracking operations, thus increasing the support of the whipstocking sleeve. The cement I5 may be in-, troduced both within the sleeve and around the outside thereof, inasmuch as the liner is'perforated below thewhipstock and circulation may readily be established.

Inasmuch as the operating face of the whipstock is the beveled edge of the sleeve the point of contact with the drilling bit varies, and the whipstocking sleeve, as viewed from the side, is

. somewhat convex rather than straight. Howbore 2 of smaller diameter than the well bore in which the casing sets. A liner 3 is then lowered through the casing and into the bore 2. The upper end of the liner is usually provided with a collar I, or if it is desired to suspend the liner from the casing, various types of conventional liner hangers are used, some of which are constructed so as to be drillable.

ever, the deflecting angle is constant. This is best indicated by comparison of the several cross sectional views.

If desired, the liner below the whipstocking sleeve may be conventional, that is, formed of steel, in which case only that section of the liner contained within the sleeve and extending into the casing is made of drillable material.

Various changes and alternate arrangements may be made within the scope of the appended claims, in which it'is our intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as the prior art permits.

We claim:

1. A combination with a drillable liner, of: a sleeve formed of relatively non-drillable material surrounding said liner, said sleeve having a beveled deflecting side. 1

2. A line! adapted to be set in an oil well below the well casing, said liner including a drill- 

